To be frank, there’s not too much on offer when it comes to surfing in Connecticut – but Rhode Island and New York have quality waves not too far away.
An introduction to surfing in Connecticut
Real swell is hard to come by in CT. There are rumors that the rivermouth at Mystic gets kicking on big storm days, but we’d leave that the locals anyhow. Most of the folk here usually head out to crash the lineups down in Rhode Island. The reason for the sad write-up? Long Island is a swell wall. Very little of the E pulses will get through and it’s just too much to ask of the NE swells to make it around New England. Most of the season it’s nothing. Nada. Sorry folks, but we think this one’s about driving out to Rhode Island or south to New York. Those spots get the better options. The first is within an hour, the Big Apple breaks take about 2.5 hours to reach. Your choice.
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This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in the USA and surfing on the East Coast
Surfing in Connecticut at a glance
The good:
The bad:
What’s in this guide to surfing in Connecticut?
A guide to Connecticut surf spots
Rhode Island
Drive straight east and you’ll enter the Ocean State about 20 minutes after leaving New London. As if by magic when you slip across the state line, the swell shadow cast by Long Island disappears and you start to see classic East Coast A-frames and wedges popping up on the sands. Things start with a couple of more beginner-friendly beachies (Misquamicut Beach, East Beach) but do improve very fast. An hour’s drive can open the excellent fall and winter spots of Scarborough and Narragansett Beach, which is basically the go-to option in RI. A little further and you get gnarly right and left point breaks; the best point breaks this side of Malibu, in fact.
Check out our complete guide to surfing in Rhode Island right now
Mystic River (the rivermouth)
Some say the Mystic River can go off on huge hurricane swells but we don’t believe it. Never seen it. Didn’t happen. And anyway, if it did, it’s probably not gonna’ be great.
Connecticut River
When spring comes around then there’s a good chance that the snowmelt in the New England mountains will help bring currents down the Connecticut River to offer a standing wave. Not great but in this swell-hungry corner of the country it’s all you might get if you’re not willing to cross state lines.
New York
Long Island is the surf haven of NYC. It’s got a whole south coast that feels the brunt of SW and SE swells off the tropics and low-pressure Atlantic systems; the ones that CT locals wish could somehow hop the Big Apple and fire up their points. But nope, a trip to New York it has to be. Expect to drive about 2.5 hours to get to the better breaks, but more if you want to reach the Hamptons where the surf can be epci.
Check out our complete guide to surfing in New York right now
Where to stay when surfing in Connecticut?
Connecticut has no shortage of great hotels. Sadly, there aren’t really that many surf shacks or surf stays, mainly because there’s not that much surf in this part of the US. No matter – we’ve focused on some places that put you close to the nearby beaches in Rhode Island and beyond.
Margin Street Inn
We’ve highlighted the Margin Street Inn because it gets you just about as close to the CT-RI border as it’s possible to go. But that’s not the only reason. Yes, the better breaks of the Ocean State are only 10-15 minutes’ drive off, but you also get to bed down in a classic Victorian mansion with airy rooms and a real log fire. Not bad, eh?
Pawcatuck Riverfront Home with Yard
A whole house rental that’s also only 5-10 minutes from the wave-rich beaches of western Rhode Island, this one’s a great option for groups of surfers who are determined to stay in Connecticut. It sleeps 4+3 across a trio of bedrooms.
Delamar Greenwich Harbor
A bit of luxury awaits at Delamar Greenwich Harbor. A classic steamboat style stay that hearkens back to the Victorian era, it’ll have you feeling like an old railroad tycoon. The main reason we put it here is that it will shave off about half the journey to the surf spots in New York if that’s where you’re headed.
Step-by-step guide to planning your surfing in Connecticut trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the surfing in Connecticut…Lately, we like Omio for searching flights. It’s a nice interface and has lots of airline options. We also use Skyscanner because that sometimes offers deals that even beat going direct to the carrier!
Step two: Book your surf camp. Book Surf Camps is the numero uno online booking platform for fully-fledged surf-stay packages on the internet right now. Then there’s Booking.com. That has consistently unbeatable rates for hotels and a nifty map feature that lets you check EXACTLY how close your hotel is to a surf break.
Step three: Rent a car. If you’re surf camping then you might not need wheels. If you’re not then we’ll just say this: We’ve never been on a surf trip that wasn’t improved by having our own car. Use RentalCars – they’re the best.
Step four: Enjoy!
When to surf in Connecticut?
Connecticut doesn’t really have a surf season. That’s the thing – there’s not all that surf here. We don’t mean to rub it in, but you could come in the peak of fall when the rest of New England is going off and find nothing happening at all. If you want to see CT but still want to surf, then anytime from August to December is prime. That’s when the Rhode Island beach breaks and the points nearer Newport will be working to their finest, with good SW to SE swells and regular offshores courtesy of the nor’eastener systems.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
